Wireless communication module, led lighting device, solar photovoltaic system, self-start system and detection device

ABSTRACT

A wireless communication module includes: a wireless circuit configured to transmit/receive a wireless signal; a first inter-board connector; a first board on which the wireless circuit and the first connector are mounted; a signal processing circuit configured to process the wireless signal transmitted/received by the wireless circuit; a second inter-board connector configured to be connected to the first connector; and a second board on which the signal processing circuit and the second connector are mounted. The first board overlaps at least partially with the second board under a condition where the first connector and the second connector are interconnected.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority fromJapanese Patent Application Nos. 2012-70974, filed on Mar. 27, 2012, and2013-49891, filed on Mar. 13, 2013, the entire contents of which areincorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication module, anLED lighting device, a solar photovoltaic system, a self-start systemand a detection device.

BACKGROUND

In recent years, wireless communication units have been modularized. Forexample, Bluetooth modular devices with high productivity have beenproposed, which provide compatibility irrespective of internal andexternal antenna specifications of an apparatus configuring a system.

In the related art, it is required that a set maker should connect awireless communication module to a microcomputer to process an outputfrom the wireless communication module. However, since the wirelesscommunication module and the microcomputer are required to beinterconnected by a number of signal lines, the set maker may have anincreased burden of circuit design.

It is therefore contemplated that a wireless communication circuit (orRF (Radio Frequency) circuit) and a microcomputer is integrated andmounted on a single board. However, such a wireless communication modulemay result in an increase in board area and module size due to parallelarrangement of the RF circuit and the microcomputer. In addition, theboard on which the RF circuit is mounted is required to be amulti-layered board made of a high-k material since the RF circuitoperates with a high frequency. Accordingly, when the RF circuit and themicrocomputer are mounted on the single board, the multi-layered boardmade of a high-k material is compelled to be unnecessarily used for themicrocomputer, which may result in increased costs.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides some embodiments of a wirelesscommunication module, an LED lighting device, a solar photovoltaicsystem, a self-start system and a detection device which are capable ofachieving compactness while integrating an RF circuit with amicrocomputer and realizing reduction in production costs.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provideda wireless communication module including: a wireless circuit configuredto transmit/receive a wireless signal; a first inter-board connector; afirst board on which the wireless circuit and the first connector aremounted; a signal processing circuit configured to process the wirelesssignal transmitted/received by the wireless circuit; a secondinter-board connector configured to be connected to the first connector;and a second board on which the signal processing circuit and the secondconnector are mounted, wherein the first board overlaps at leastpartially with the second board under a condition where the firstconnector and the second connector are interconnected.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there isprovided an LED lighting device including the above-described wirelesscommunication module.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there isprovided a solar photovoltaic system including the above-describedwireless communication module.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there isprovided a self-start system including: the above-described wirelesscommunication module configured to receive an external signal; and anoperation part configured to perform a predetermined ON/OFF switchingfunction based on the received external signal of the wirelesscommunication module.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there isprovided a detection device including: a sensor configured to detect apredetermined state; and the above-described wireless communicationmodule configured to transmit a detection signal of the sensor in awireless manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A to 1C are schematic configuration views showing an exampleconfiguration of a wireless communication module according to a firstembodiment, FIG. 1A being a schematic side view, FIG. 1B being aschematic plan view and FIG. 1C being another schematic plan view.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing an example configuration ofan RF circuit according to the first embodiment.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are views illustrating an RF board according to thefirst embodiment, FIG. 3A being a schematic sectional view and FIG. 3Bbeing a schematic plan view.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing an external appearance of anapplication of the wireless communication module of the first embodimentto an LED lighting device.

FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram showing an application of thewireless communication module of the first embodiment to a solarphotovoltaic system.

FIGS. 6A and 6B are schematic configuration views showing an exampleconfiguration of a wireless communication module according to a secondembodiment, FIG. 6A being a schematic side view and FIG. 6B being aschematic plan view.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are schematic configuration views showing an exampleconfiguration of a wireless communication module according to a thirdembodiment, FIG. 7A being a schematic side view and FIG. 7B being aschematic plan view.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are schematic configuration views showing an exampleconfiguration of another wireless communication module according to thethird embodiment, FIG. 8A being a schematic side view and FIG. 8B beinga schematic plan view.

FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration view showing an exampleconfiguration of a wireless communication module according to a fourthembodiment.

FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration view showing an exampleconfiguration of a wireless communication module according to a fifthembodiment.

FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration view showing an exampleconfiguration of a wireless communication module according to a sixthembodiment.

FIG. 12 is a schematic configuration view showing an exampleconfiguration of a wireless communication module according to a seventhembodiment.

FIGS. 13A and 13B are schematic configuration views showing an exampleconfiguration of the wireless communication module according to thefirst embodiment, FIG. 13A being a schematic side view and FIG. 13Bbeing a schematic plan view showing an inner board side of a controlboard.

FIGS. 14A to 14D are schematic configuration views showing an exampleconfiguration of a wireless communication module according to an eighthembodiment, FIG. 14A being a schematic side view, FIG. 14B being aschematic plan view showing an inner board side of a control board, FIG.14C being a schematic enlarged sectional view and FIG. 14D being anotherschematic enlarged sectional view.

FIGS. 15A and 15B are schematic configuration views showing an exampleconfiguration of a wireless communication module according to a ninthembodiment.

FIGS. 16A and 16B are schematic configuration views showing an exampleconfiguration of a wireless communication module according to a tenthembodiment, FIG. 16A being a schematic plan view and FIG. 16B being aschematic side view.

FIGS. 17A and 17B are schematic configuration views of the RF boardshown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, FIG. 17A being a schematic plan view andFIG. 17B being a schematic side view.

FIGS. 18A to 18C are schematic configuration views of the control boardshown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, FIG. 18A being a schematic plan view, FIG.18B being a schematic front view and FIG. 18C being a schematic sideview.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments, examples ofwhich are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the followingdetailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in orderto provide a thorough understanding of the present invention(s).However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art thatthe present invention(s) may be practiced without these specificdetails. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, systems,and components have not been described in detail so as not tounnecessarily obscure aspects of the various embodiments.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detailwith reference to the drawings. Throughout the drawings, the same orsimilar elements are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals.It is however noted that the drawings are just schematics, andrelationships between thickness and planar dimension of elements,thickness ratios of various layers and so on may be unrealistic.Accordingly, detailed thickness and dimensions should be determined inconsideration of the following description. In addition, it is to beunderstood that the figures include different dimensional relationshipsand ratios.

The following embodiments are provided to illustrate devices and methodsto embody the technical ideas of the present disclosure and are notlimited to materials, forms, structures, arrangements and so on ofelements detailed herein. The embodiments of the present disclosure maybe modified in different ways without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention defined in the claims.

First Embodiment

A first embodiment will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1A to5.

A wireless communication module 1 according to the first embodimentincludes an RF circuit 12 for transmitting/receiving wireless signals,an inter-board connector 11, an RF board 10 mounted thereon with the RFcircuit 12 and the connector 11, a microcomputer 22 for processing thewireless signals transmitted/received by the RF circuit 12, aninter-board connector 21 which can be connected to the connector 11, anda control board 20 mounted thereon with the microcomputer 22 and theconnector 21 and is configured such that the RF board 10 and the controlboard 20 are at least partially overlapped with each other when theconnector 11 and the connector 21 are interconnected.

In addition, the RF board 10 and the control board 20 may be arrangedsuch that a board side of the RF board 10 on which the RF circuit 12 ismounted faces a board side of the control board 20 on which themicrocomputer 22 is not mounted.

In addition, an antenna 13 may be arranged in a region on the RF board10 in which the RF board 10 and the control board 20 do not overlap witheach other.

In addition, the RF board 10 may be a multi-layered board made of amaterial having a higher dielectric constant than the control board 20.

(Wireless Communication Module)

FIGS. 1A to 1C are schematic configuration views showing an exampleconfiguration of the wireless communication module 1 according to thefirst embodiment, FIG. 1A being a schematic side view and FIG. 1B beinga schematic plan view. As shown in these figures, the wirelesscommunication module 1 includes two boards, i.e., the RF board 10 andthe control board 20, which are connected in a three dimensional mannerby the connectors 11 and 21. In the following description, board sidesin which the two boards 10 and 20 face with each other are called “innerboard sides” and opposite board sides are called “outer board sides.”

The RF circuit 12 and the connector 11 are mounted on the inner boardside of the RF board 10. The RF circuit 12 is a wireless circuit fortransmitting/receiving wireless signals and operates with a highfrequency. The connector 11 is a thin inter-board connector which iscommonly called a “board-to-board connector.”

The connector 21 is mounted on the inner board side of the control board20. The connector 21 is a thin inter-board connector which can beconnected to the connector 11. In addition, the microcomputer 22, otherelectronic part 23 and a connector 24 are mounted on the outer boardside of the control board 20. The microcomputer 22 is a signalprocessing unit for processing the wireless signals transmitted/receivedby the RF circuit 12. The connector 24 is used to provide externalconnection.

When the connector 11 is connected to the connector 21, the RF board 10faces the control board 20. The RF circuit 12 is interposed between thetwo boards 10 and 20, and the microcomputer 22 and the other electronicpart 23 are arranged on the outer board side of the control board 20. Asshown in these figures, the RF board 10 is larger in size than thecontrol board 20 and has a projecting right end when viewed from theplane view of FIGS. 1B and 1C. When the antenna 13 is disposed on theprojecting right end of the RF board 10, deteriorated sensitivity of theantenna 13 can be avoided since electromagnetic waves can be preventedfrom being interrupted by metal parts or the like.

FIG. 1C is a schematic plan view showing one example of a connectionbetween the antenna 13 and the RF circuit 12. As shown in this figure,the antenna 13 and an external antenna 13 a, which will be described indetail later, are connected to the RF circuit 12 via a switch 13 d. Theswitch 13 d includes a first connection portion connected to theexternal antenna 13 a and a second connection portion connected to theantenna 13. If the antenna 13 is used to transmit/receive the wirelesssignals, the switch 13 d is fixed with the antenna 13 connected to thesecond connection portion. On the other hand, if the external antenna 13a is used to transmit/receive the wireless signals, the switch 13 d isfixed with a cable 13 b of the external antenna 13 a connected to thefirst connection portion. Other configurations are the same as those inFIG. 1B.

(RF Circuit)

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the RFcircuit 12 according to the first embodiment. The RF circuit 12 includesa power supply 121, a filter 122, an RF switch 123, a transmitter 124, areceiver 125, a modem 126, a controller 127 and a signal generator 128.These components 121 to 128 are covered by a metal shield plate 120including a flat top portion and four side portions. The shield plate120 has an internal cavity. The side portions can be fixed to the RFboard 10 while covering the RF circuit 12. The side portions may besoldered to a pad connected to a ground of the RF board 10. That is, theshield plate 120 is fixed to the RF board 10 while making electricalconnection to the ground of the RF board 10. In addition, the shieldplate 120 may be made of, for example, resin, instead of metal. In thiscase, the shield plate 120 is fixed to the RF board 10 by means of, forexample, an adhesive. The transmitter 124, the receiver 125, the modem126 and the controller 127 in the RF circuit 12 constitute a single RFICunit 129. The power supply 121 converts direct current of a voltage intodirect current of a different voltage, which is then supplied to themodem 126, the controller 127 and so on. The signal generator 128generates a clock signal to be supplied to the modem 126, the controller127 and so on. The controller 127 performs various controls for wirelesscommunication. The modem 126 performs frequency modulation based on amodulation scheme such as GFSK (Gaussian Frequency-Shift Keying) or thelike. The RF switch 123 is used to switch between transmission andreception of the wireless signals. The filter 122 for reducing noises isconnected to the antenna 13 via an antenna connector 13 c.

(RF Board and Control Board)

FIGS. 3A and 3B are views illustrating the RF board 10 according to thefirst embodiment, FIG. 3A being a schematic sectional view and FIG. 3Bbeing a schematic plan view. The RF board 10 is required to use amulti-layered board made of a high-k material since the RF circuit 12operates with a high frequency. The RF board 10 may be a multi-layeredboard of, for example, four to six layers. As shown in these figures,the RF board 10 includes a strip line 31. The strip line 31 correspondsto a line between the connector 13 c and the RF switch 123, a linebetween the RF switch 123 and the transmitter 124, and a line betweenthe RF switch 123 and the receiver 125, as indicated by thick lines inFIG. 2. In FIGS. 3A and 3B, reference numerals 32 and 33 denote a groundpattern and a via hole, respectively. The RF board 10 is made of ahigh-k material such as glass epoxy, alumina, SiN, SiF or the like. Thecontrol board 20 need not be a multi-layered board made of a high-kmaterial but may be a single layer board made of, for example, glassepoxy.

(Applications)

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing an external appearance of anapplication of the wireless communication module 1 of the firstembodiment to an LED lighting device. The connector 24 of the wirelesscommunication module 1 is connected to a connector 24 b of an LED powermodule 2 via a harness 24 a. This LED lighting device allows a user toperform an operation such as lighting-ON/OFF from another room byexchanging a wireless signal with a remote controller. In addition, asshown in FIG. 4, if a detection device 300 including a sensor 100 fordetecting the presence of a person (or a certain condition) and awireless transmitter 200 for transmitting a detection signal by wirelessare combined with the LED lighting device, then this constitutes asystem which automatically switches between lighting ON and OFFdepending on whether or not the presence of a person is detected by thesensor 100. In this case, the wireless transmitter 200 for transmittingthe detection signal of the sensor 100 in a wireless manner can beconfigured with the wireless communication module 1 according to thisembodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram showing an application of thewireless communication module 1 of the first embodiment to a solarphotovoltaic system. A power conditioner 4 converts electricitygenerated by a solar cell 3 into AC electric power available forhouseholds 7. In addition, surplus electric power may be sold to anelectric power company 6. The wireless communication modules 1 aremounted on the power conditioner 4 and its remote controller 5,respectively. This allows a wireless signal to be exchanged between thepower conditioner 4 and the remote controller 5, thereby allowing thedisplay of various kinds of data such as quantity of generatedelectricity, power consumption and the like on a monitor 5 a of theremote controller 5.

Without being limited to the above examples of application, the wirelesscommunication module 1 may be applied to an automatic operation system(or self-start system) having an ON/OFF switching function based on asignal from a sensor or a signal from a manipulation by a user (e.g., aremote controller manipulation). In other words, this automaticoperation system is a system including the wireless communication module1 to receive an external signal and an operation part to perform apredetermined ON/OFF switching function based on the received externalsignal of the wireless communication module 1. For example, thisautomatic operation system employing the wireless communication module 1is suitable to be applied to automatic door opening/closing, escalatorrunning/stopping, lighting ON/OFF, alarm ON/OFF, automatic faucet,automatic cleaning and so on based on detection of existence of aperson. In addition, as described above, the wireless communicationmodule 1 may be used as a transmitter. In addition, a detection objectof the sensor 100 may be a physical quantity such as temperature,pressure and the like without being limited to the existence of livingthings including people.

As described above, the wireless communication module 1 according to thefirst embodiment is configured such that the RF board 10 and the controlboard 20 overlap with each other with the connecter 11 and the connector21 interconnected. This allows parts to be mounted in a threedimensional manner, thereby providing a decreased size while integratingthe RF circuit 12 with the microcomputer 22. In addition, the controlboard 20 can be made of an inexpensive material, thereby achievingreduction in costs. In addition, the RF board 10 and the control board20 are separated from each other, thereby allowing each user tocustomize only the microcomputer 22 and hence to strengthen or modifythe functions of the wireless communication module 1.

In addition, in this embodiment, the RF board 10 and the control board20 are arranged such that the board side on which the RF circuit 12 ismounted faces the board side on which the microcomputer 22 is notmounted. That is, since only parts of the RF board 10 are arrangedbetween the RF board 10 and the control board 20, it is possible toprovide a thin wireless communication module 1.

Second Embodiment

A configuration of a wireless communication module 1 according to asecond embodiment will be now described with reference to FIGS. 6A and6B, with an emphasis placed on differences from that of the firstembodiment.

(Wireless Communication Module)

FIGS. 6A and 6B are schematic configuration views showing an exampleconfiguration of the wireless communication module 1 according to thesecond embodiment, FIG. 6A being a schematic side view and FIG. 6B beinga schematic plan view. The second embodiment has the same configurationas the first embodiment except that the antenna 13 a is externallyattached. Specifically, the antenna connector 13 c is mounted on theinner board side of the RF board 10 and the antenna 13 a is connected tothe antenna connector 13 c via the cable 13 b. In this case, the RFboard 10 may have substantially the same size as the control board 20,as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B.

As described above, the wireless communication module 1 according to thesecond embodiment allows the antenna 13 a to be externally attached,thereby making it possible to further reduce the size of the RF board 10over that in the first embodiment.

Third Embodiment

A configuration of a wireless communication module 1 according to athird embodiment will be now described with reference to FIGS. 7A to 8B,with an emphasis placed on differences from those of the first andsecond embodiments.

(Wireless Communication Module)

FIGS. 7A and 7B are schematic configuration views showing an exampleconfiguration of the wireless communication module 1 according to thethird embodiment, FIG. 7A being a schematic side view and FIG. 7B beinga schematic plan view. The third embodiment has the same configurationas the first embodiment except that the antenna 13 is sandwiched betweenthe RF board 10 and the control board 20. In other words, the antenna 13may be interposed between the RF circuit 12 and the control board 20 aslong as metal parts and the like are not placed near the antenna 13.

Specifically, the antenna 13 is disposed in a region on the RF board 10in which the RF board 10 and the control board 20 overlap with eachother, and the microcomputer 22 is disposed outside a near-region E2 ofthe antenna 13. As used herein, the term “near-region E2 of the antenna13” refers to a region which is likely to have an effect on a radio wavestate of the antenna 13. More specifically, the antenna 13 and themicrocomputer 22 are arranged in a non-overlapping manner when viewedfrom a direction in which the RF board 10 and the control board 20overlap with each other (for example, a point of view of FIG. 7B).However, it is to be understood that the microcomputer 22 is not limitedto the exact position in FIGS. 7A and 7B as long as it can be positionedwithin a region E1 which is not near the antenna 13. In addition to themicrocomputer 22, the connector 24 for external connection, the otherelectronic part 23, and the wiring pattern on the control board 20 arepositioned to avoid the region E2.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are schematic configuration views showing an exampleconfiguration of another wireless communication module 1 according tothe third embodiment, FIG. 8A being a schematic side view and FIG. 8Bbeing a schematic plan view. The wireless communication module 1 shownin FIGS. 8A and 8B is similar to that shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B in thatthe antenna 13 is interposed between the RF board 10 and the controlboard 20 but is different from that shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B in that theantenna 13 is disposed in the central portion of the RF board 10 insteadof being disposed in the right end of the RF board 10. In this case, theconnector 24, the microcomputer 22, the other electronic part 23 and soon are arranged to avoid the near-region E2 of the antenna 13 as well.

As described above, the wireless communication module 1 according to thethird embodiment is configured such that the antenna 13 is interposedbetween the RF board 10 and the control board 20. Also in this case,since various parts and wiring patterns on the control board 20 arearranged to avoid the near-region E2 of the antenna 13, it is possibleto avoid deteriorated sensitivity of the antenna 13.

Fourth Embodiment

A configuration of a wireless communication module 1 according to afourth embodiment will be now described with reference to FIG. 9, withan emphasis placed on differences from those of the first to thirdembodiments.

(Wireless Communication Module)

FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration view showing an exampleconfiguration of the wireless communication module 1 according to thefourth embodiment. The fourth embodiment is different from the firstembodiment in that the inner board side of the control board 20 (a boardside of the control board 20 which faces the RF board 10) and the top ofthe shield plate 120 of the RF circuit 12 are fixed together by means ofan adhesive 31. Material of the adhesive 31 and a method of applying theadhesive 31 are not particularly limited. For example, a double-sidedtape may be used for the adhesive 31. The adhesive 31 may be made of aninsulating material.

As described above, in the wireless communication module 1 according tothe fourth embodiment, the inner board side of the control board 20 isfixed to the RF circuit 12 by means of the adhesive 31. This can providea higher connection strength than the connection between the RF board 10and the control board 20 by means of only the connectors 11 and 21.

Fifth Embodiment

A configuration of a wireless communication module 1 according to afifth embodiment will be now described with reference to FIG. 10, withan emphasis placed on differences from those of the first to fourthembodiments.

(Wireless Communication Module)

FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration view showing an exampleconfiguration of the wireless communication module 1 according to thefifth embodiment. The fifth embodiment is different from the firstembodiment in that the RF board 10 and the control board 20 are fixedtogether by means of screws 32 a and 32 b. The screws 32 a and 32 b maybe positioned at any suitable places such as four corners of the controlboard 20.

As described above, in the wireless communication module 1 according tothe fifth embodiment, the RF board 10 and the control board 20 are fixedtogether by means of the screws 32 a and 32 b. This can provide higherconnection strength than connection between the RF board 10 and thecontrol board 20 by means of only the connectors 11 and 21.

Sixth Embodiment

A configuration of a wireless communication module 1 according to asixth embodiment will be now described with reference to FIG. 11, withan emphasis placed on differences from those of the first to fifthembodiments.

(Wireless Communication Module)

FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration view showing an exampleconfiguration of the wireless communication module 1 according to thesixth embodiment. The sixth embodiment is different from the firstembodiment in that the RF board 10 and the control board 20 are fixedtogether by means of locking supports 33 a and 33 b. The lockingsupports 33 a and 33 b may be positioned at any suitable place such asfour corners of the control board 20.

As described above, in the wireless communication module 1 according tothe sixth embodiment, the RF board 10 and the control board 20 are fixedtogether by means of the locking supports 33 a and 33 b. This canprovide higher connection strength than connection between the RF board10 and the control board 20 by means of only the connectors 11 and 21.

Seventh Embodiment

A configuration of a wireless communication module 1 according to aseventh embodiment will be now described with reference to FIG. 12, withan emphasis placed on differences from those of the first to sixthembodiments.

(Wireless Communication Module)

FIG. 12 is a schematic configuration view showing an exampleconfiguration of the wireless communication module 1 according to theseventh embodiment. The seventh embodiment is different from the firstembodiment in that two pairs of inter-board connectors are provided attwo separate places, respectively. Specifically, in addition to theconnector 11 provided in the left end of the RF board 10, a connector 15is provided in the right end of the RF board 10. Further, in addition tothe connector 21 provided in the left end of the control board 20, aconnector 25 is provided in the right end of the control board 20.

As described above, in the wireless communication module 1 according tothe seventh embodiment, the two pairs of inter-board connectors areprovided at the two separate places, respectively. This can providehigher connection strength than the connection between the RF board 10and the control board 20 by means of only the connectors 11 and 21.

Eighth Embodiment

A configuration of a wireless communication module 1 according to aneighth embodiment will be now described with reference to FIGS. 13A to14D, with an emphasis placed on differences from those of the first toseventh embodiments.

(Wireless Communication Module)

With the first embodiment, there is a possibility of contact of theinner board side of the control board 20 with the top of the shieldplate 120 of the RF circuit 12. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 13A and13B, since some gap is present between the control board 20 and the RFcircuit 12, there is a possibility of contact to a region E3 on theinner board side of the control board 20, which faces the RF circuit 12,with the RF circuit 12 under application of a load to the wirelesscommunication module 1. For this reason, wiring patterns to be formed onthe inner board side of the control board 20 need to be arranged outsidethe region E3.

FIGS. 14A and 14B are schematic configuration views showing an exampleconfiguration of the wireless communication module 1 according to theeighth embodiment, FIG. 14A being a schematic side view and FIG. 14Bbeing a schematic plan view showing the inner board side of the controlboard 20. FIGS. 14C and 14D are schematic enlarged sectional views of adot-circled portion in FIG. 14A. As shown in these figures, projections14 projecting toward the control board 20 are respectively formed infour corners of the top of the shield plate 120 covering the RF circuit12, which faces the control board 20. This prevents the shield plate 120from contacting the control board 20 except the projections 14.Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 14C, signal wiring patterns L1 can beformed on the inner board side of the control board 20 in regions exceptthe projections 14 (i.e., regions other than regions E4). However,ground wiring patterns L2 are, for example, formed in the regions E4contacting the projections 14. Thus, the shield plate 120 can serve as aground.

The projections 14 may be formed of an elastically deformable springwhich can be integrated with the shield plate 120 as shown in FIG. 14D.The RF board 10 and the control board 20 are interconnected and fixedtogether with the projections 14 being bent. That is, when the RF board10 and the control board 20 are interconnected, the projections 14 makecontact with the control board 20 under a condition where theprojections 14 are bent. This ensures reliable contact of the groundwiring patterns L2 of the control board 20 with the shield plate 120,for example even if the height of the projections 14 is uneven. In thiscase, since the control board 20 is pressed upward by the projections14, the spring connector 11 and 21 and so on may be under load.Accordingly, for example, the RF board 10 and the control board 20 maybe interconnected and fixed together at multiple sites.

As described above, the wireless communication module 1 according to theeighth embodiment is provided with the projections 14 formed in the fourcorners of the top of the shield plate 120, which faces the controlboard 20. This prevents the shield plate 120 from contacting the controlboard 20 except the projections 14, thereby providing an extended regionon the inner board side of the control board 20 in which the signalwiring patterns L1 can be formed.

In addition, the ground wiring patterns L2 are formed in the regionscontacting the projections 14. This allows the shield plate 120 to serveas a ground, which may result in an increased ground area contributingto circuit stability. In addition, the projections 14 and the groundwiring patterns L2 (or pads) of the control board 20 may be fixedtogether by means of a conductive adhesive.

Ninth Embodiment

A configuration of a wireless communication module 1 according to aninth embodiment will be now described with reference to FIGS. 15A and15B, with an emphasis placed on differences from those of the first toeighth embodiments.

(Wireless Communication Module)

FIGS. 15A and 15B are schematic configuration views showing an exampleconfiguration of the wireless communication module 1 according to theninth embodiment. The ninth embodiment is different from the firstembodiment in that the RF circuit 12 and the control board 20 arearranged in a reversed fashion. That is, the RF circuit 12 and thecontrol board 20 are arranged such that a board side of the RF board 10on which the RF circuit 12 is not mounted faces a board side of thecontrol board 20 on which the microcomputer 22 is mounted. In this case,in order to prevent the microcomputer 22 from contacting the inner boardside of the RF board 10, a spacer S is interposed between the RF board10 and the control board 20. It is to be understood that the spacer Smay be appropriately changed in its height, shape and the like.

As described above, in the wireless communication module 1 according tothe ninth embodiment, the RF circuit 12 and the control board 20 arearranged such that the board side of the RF board 10 on which the RFcircuit 12 is not mounted faces the board side of the control board 20on which the microcomputer 22 is mounted. Like the first embodiment,this configuration can also provide a reduced size of the wirelesscommunication module 1 while integrating the RF circuit 12 with themicrocomputer 22 and realize a reduction in production costs. Of course,the ninth embodiment can be combined with the second to eighthembodiments.

Tenth Embodiment

A configuration of a wireless communication module 1 according to atenth embodiment will be now described with reference to FIGS. 16A to18C, with an emphasis placed on differences from those of the first toninth embodiments.

(Wireless Communication Module)

FIGS. 16A and 16B are schematic plan and side views of the wirelesscommunication module 1 according to the tenth embodiment, respectively.As shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, a connector 26 taller than a distance L10between the RF board 10 and the control board 20 is disposed in a regionon the control board 20 in which the RF board 10 does not overlap withthe control board 20. The connector 26 is used for external connections.This configuration makes it possible to reduce the distance L10 betweenthe RF board 10 and the control board 20, which may result incompactness of the wireless communication module 1.

When the connector 11 of the RF board 10 is connected to the connector21 of the control board 20, the RF board 10 faces the control board 20.The RF circuit 12 is interposed between the RF board 10 and the controlboard 20 and the microcomputer 22 is disposed on the outer board side ofthe control board 20. In addition, the antenna 13, a connector 16 and soon are disposed on the inner board side of the RF board 10 whichprojects out beyond the right-edge of the control board 20 as shown inFIGS. 16A and 16B.

(RF Board)

FIGS. 17A and 17B are schematic plan and side views of the RF board 10shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, respectively. As shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B,the RF circuit 12 is covered by the metal shield plate 120. Projections14 a to 14 d are respectively formed in four corners of the top of theshield plate 120 which faces the control board 20, and a projection 14 eis formed in a central portion of one edge of a quadrangle defined bythe four corners of the shield plate 120. In addition to the projections14 a to 14 d formed in the four corners, the projection 14 e is formedin the central portion of one of its edges. This additional projection14 e can prevent the shield plate 120 from being mounted in a wrongdirection.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B, the antenna 13 may bedisposed in a region on the RF board 10 in which the RF board 10 doesnot overlap with the control board 20. Since the shield plate 120 iselectrically connected to the ground of the RF board 10, a radio wavetransmitted/received by the antenna 13 may interfere with and beabsorbed into the shield plate 120 if the antenna 13 becomes too closeto the shield plate 120.

To avoid this problem, the shield plate 120 can be disposed at adistance L11 from the antenna 13, which is larger than ¼ of a wavelength(λ) of the radio wave transmitted/received by the antenna 13. Forexample, for a frequency band of 920 MHz, λ/4 is about 0.75 cm and,therefore, the distance L11 between the antenna 13 and the shield plate120 may be set to be slightly larger than 0.75 cm (e.g., to be about 1cm). This can prevent the radio wave transmitted/received by the antenna13 from interfering with and being absorbed into the shield plate 120.

It is to be understood that electronic parts such the connector 16 andso on may be mounted above the antenna 13, as shown in FIG. 17A. Inaddition, a space for the antenna 13 may be reduced by bending theantenna 13 or attaching coils C1 to C3 externally.

(Control Board)

FIGS. 18A to 18C are a schematic plan, front and side views of thecontrol board 20 shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, respectively. As shown inFIGS. 18A to 18C, the connector 26 includes eight pins P1 to P8, i.e., aVDD pin P1, a TXD pin P2, a RXD pin P3, a RTS pin P4, a CTS pin P5, aGPIO pin P6, a GPIO pin P7 and a GND pin P8, arranged in this order. TheVDD pin P1 is a power source voltage input pin, the TXD pin P2 is anasynchronous data output pin, the RXD pin P3 is an asynchronous datainput pin, the RTS pin P4 is a RTS (Ready To Send) control output pin,the CTS pin P5 is a CTS (Clear To Send) control input pin, the GPIO pinsP6 and P7 are user-settable input and output pins, respectively, and theGND pin P8 is a ground pin. These 8 pins P1 to P8 are arranged on thesame plane in parallel to a board side 20 a of the control board 20, asshown in FIG. 18B. This can limit the height L12 of the connector 26,thereby making the wireless communication module 1 compact. Since theseinput and output pins are arranged in an alternating manner, safety isguaranteed without unpredictable current flowing even if adjacent pinsare circuit-shorted.

As described above, in the wireless communication module 1 according tothe tenth embodiment, the connector 26 taller than the distance L10between the RF board 10 and the control board 20 is disposed in theregion on the control board 20 in which the RF board 10 does not overlapwith the control board 20. This configuration makes it possible toreduce the distance L10 between the RF board 10 and the control board20, which may result in compactness of the wireless communication module1.

In addition, as described above, the connector 26 includes the eightpins P1 to P8, i.e., the VDD pin P1, the TXD pin P2, the RXD pin P3, theRTS pin P4, the CTS pin P5, the GPIO pin P6, the GPIO pin P7 and the GNDpin P8, arranged in this order. These 8 pins P1 to P8 are arranged onthe same plane in parallel to the board side 20 a of the control board20. This can limit the height L12 of the connector 26, thereby makingthe wireless communication module 1 compact.

In addition, as described above, the projections 14 a to 14 e arerespectively formed in the four corners of the top of the shield plate120 which faces the control board 20, and the central portion of oneedge of a quadrangle defined by the four corners. This can prevent theshield plate 120 from being mounted in a wrong direction.

In addition, as described above, the shield plate 120 is disposed at adistance L11 from the antenna 13, which is larger than ¼ of thewavelength (λ) of the radio wave transmitted/received by the antenna 13.This can prevent the radio wave transmitted/received by the antenna 13from interfering with and being absorbed into the shield plate 120,which may prevent sensitivity of the antenna 13 from being deteriorated.

As apparent from the above description, the present disclosure canprovide a wireless communication module 1, an LED lighting device, asolar photovoltaic system, a self-start system and a detection devicewhich are capable of achieving compactness while integrating the RFcircuit 12 with the microcomputer 22 and realizing reduction inproduction costs.

Other Embodiments

While the present disclosure has been described by way of the first totenth embodiments, it should be understood that the description and thedrawings constituting a part of the present disclosure are onlyillustrative. It is apparent to those skilled in the art that theembodiments may be modified, altered, changed and operated in variousdifferent ways when reading from the detailed description and thedrawings.

Thus, the present disclosure encompasses other different embodimentswhich are not described herein. For example, while it has beenillustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1C and so on that the RF board 10 overlapsentirely with the control board 20, the RF board 10 may overlap at leastpartially with the control board 20.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The wireless communication module according to the present disclosurecan be applied to LED lighting devices, solar photovoltaic systems,self-start systems, detection devices and other devices and systems.

The present disclosure can provide a wireless communication module, anLED lighting device, a solar photovoltaic system, a self-start systemand a detection device which are capable of achieving compactness whileintegrating an RF circuit with a microcomputer and realizing reductionin production costs.

While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments havebeen presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit thescope of the disclosures. Indeed, the novel methods and apparatusesdescribed herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms;furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form ofthe embodiments described herein may be made without departing from thespirit of the disclosures. The accompanying claims and their equivalentsare intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall withinthe scope and spirit of the disclosures.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wireless communication module comprising: awireless circuit configured to transmit/receive a wireless signal; afirst inter-board connector; a first board on which the wireless circuitand the first connector are mounted; a signal processing circuitconfigured to process the wireless signal transmitted/received by thewireless circuit; a second inter-board connector configured to beconnected to the first connector; and a second board on which the signalprocessing circuit and the second connector are mounted, wherein thefirst board overlaps at least partially with the second board under acondition where the first connector and the second connector areinterconnected.
 2. The wireless communication module of claim 1, whereinthe first board and the second board are arranged such that a board sideof the first board on which the wireless circuit is mounted faces aboard side of the second board on which the signal processing circuit isnot mounted.
 3. The wireless communication module of claim 1, whereinthe first board and the second board are arranged such that a board sideof the first board on which the wireless circuit is not mounted faces aboard side of the second board on which the signal processing circuit ismounted.
 4. The wireless communication module of claim 2, wherein anantenna is disposed in a region on the first board where the first boardand the second board do not overlap with each other.
 5. The wirelesscommunication module of claim 2, wherein an antenna is disposed in aregion on the first board where the first board and the second boardoverlap with each other, and the signal processing circuit is disposedto avoid a near-region of the antenna.
 6. The wireless communicationmodule of claim 2, wherein an antenna is disposed in a region on thefirst board where the first board and the second board overlap with eachother, and a third connector for external connection is disposed toavoid a near-region of the antenna.
 7. The wireless communication moduleof claim 1, wherein the wireless circuit is covered by a metal shieldplate.
 8. The wireless communication module of claim 7, wherein aprojection is formed at a predetermined position of a top of the shieldplate which faces the second board.
 9. The wireless communication moduleof claim 8, wherein a signal wiring pattern is formed in a regionavoiding the projection on the board side of the second board whichfaces the first board.
 10. The wireless communication module of claim 8,wherein a ground wiring pattern is formed in a region contacting theprojection on the board side of the second board which faces the firstboard.
 11. The wireless communication module of claim 8, wherein theprojection is an elastically deformable spring, and the projectioncontacts the second board, with the projection being bent, when thefirst connector and the second connector are interconnected.
 12. Thewireless communication module of claim 1, wherein the wireless circuitis fixed to a board side of the second board which faces the firstboard, by means of an adhesive.
 13. The wireless communication module ofclaim 1, wherein the first board and the second board are fixed togetherby means of a screw.
 14. The wireless communication module of claim 1,wherein the first board and the second board are fixed together by meansof a locking support.
 15. The wireless communication module of claim 1,wherein the first connector and the second connector are formed atmultiple places.
 16. The wireless communication module of claim 1,wherein the first board has a higher dielectric constant than that ofthe second board.
 17. The wireless communication module of claim 1,wherein a fourth connector taller than a distance between the firstboard and the second board is disposed in a region on the second boardwhere the first board and the second board do not overlap with eachother.
 18. The wireless communication module of claim 17, wherein thefourth connector has eight pins including a VDD pin, a TXD pin, a RXDpin, a RTS pin, a CTS pin, a GPIO pin, another GPIO pin and a GND pin,arranged in this order.
 19. The wireless communication module of claim18, wherein the eight pins are arranged on the same plane in parallel toa board side of the second board.
 20. The wireless communication moduleof claim 17, wherein the wireless circuit is covered by a metal shieldplate, and projections are respectively formed in four corners of a topof the shield plate which faces the second board and a central portionof one edge of a quadrangle defined by the four corners.
 21. Thewireless communication module of claim 20, wherein an antenna isdisposed in a region on the first board where the first board and thesecond board do not overlap with each other, and the shield plate isdisposed at a distance from the antenna, the distance being larger than¼ of a wavelength of a radio wave transmitted/received by the antenna.22. An LED lighting device comprising a wireless communication module ofclaim
 1. 23. A solar photovoltaic system comprising a wirelesscommunication module of claim
 1. 24. A self-start system comprising: awireless communication module of claim 1, configured to receive anexternal signal; and an operation part configured to perform apredetermined ON/OFF switching function based on the received externalsignal of the wireless communication module.
 25. A detection devicecomprising: a sensor configured to detect a predetermined state; and awireless communication module of claim 1, configured to transmit adetection signal of the sensor in a wireless manner.